Pneumatic block signal for railways



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

W. HgsoHMELZ.

PNBUMATIG BLOCK SIGNAL POR RAILWAYS. No. 314,060. JatentQd Ma 17,"1885.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.'

W. H. SCHMELZ.

PNEUMATIC BLOCK SIGNAL FOB. RAILWAYS.

No'. 314,060. A Patented Mar. 17, 188.5.

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N. PETERS Plwxo-L'rmagmpmr. vlamingen D. c. v

' 'Unirse Sri-iras PATENT trice.

WILLIAM H. SCI'IMELZ, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

PNEUMATIC BLOCK SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATIGN erming part of Letters Patent No. 314,060, dated March 17, 1885.

Application filed March 14, 1854. (No model.)

To LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLrAM H. SCHMELZ, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Baltimore and State of llz'Iaryland, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Pneumatic Block Signals for Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has` reference to pneumatic block signals; and it consists in the arrangement, combination, and construction of parts, hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate what I consider the best means for carrying out my invention.

Figure l shows several stations connected by piping and the apparatus in different positions at the different stations. Fig.2 is a perspective view, in section, ofthe upper bellows and a part of the casing, the bottom of the bellows being iitted with a valve havingmeans 1 for automatically operating` it, the valve being shown closed in this figure. Fig. '3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, with the valve open. Fig. 4 is a detail View of one of the standards for the bellows-operating rods. Fig. 5 is a 't perspective of the levers for operating the signal by a passing train. Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the inclined presser attached to'a ear-body, which communicates the force necessary to work the rod or arm shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the Valve and chamber which are placed in the pipe beneath the bellows. Fig. 8 is a modification showing a cylinder and piston substituted for the bellows. Fig. S shows mechanism like Figs. 2 and 3, with the exception of the cylinder instead ofthe bellows; and Fig. 9, a small intermediate signal to be used at switches, sidings, branch roads, &c. Fig.. 10 is a detail of the plunger.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they No. 3, and they represent the terminals of the several blocks.A At station No. l, being the initial or starting station, only one bellows is required. At the other two stations or boxes, Nos. 2 and 3, and s'o on throughout the road, 55 two bellows are required, except, ot' course, at the terminal station of the road, as well as at the initial station, as has already been described. It will be understood that these stations and their connecting-pipes are arranged along a railroad-track, and that the bellows in them are operated by a passing train acting upon a lever, B, whichworks under the erosspiece G. as will be understood by reference to Fig. 5, in which the said parts B and G are shown, and their position and relation to the track indicated bythe rail A; (Shown in dotted lines.)

The several boxes or stations along the line of road are connected by iron or other suitable pipe, D, which may he laid alongside the rails on the ends of the ties, or in any` other convenient or desirable position, above, on, or beneath the surface ofthe road-bed or adj aeent soil. rIhese sections ot' piping corresponding, of course, with the sections or blocks into which the road is divided, are connected at one end to one bellows, H, at station (say) No. l, and their opening at the other end-say at station No. 2-is controlled by a second bellows, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

As already stated, station No. 1, being snpposcd to be the starting-station of the series or system, vneed be and is only provided with one bellows; but in actionpand general construction and arrangement of 'parts this station is essentially the saine as all the others;

The operating parts at each box or station are housed and protected from the weather and from unlawful molestation by a box or casing, C. I have shown such aboX or casing at each station,of rectangular'form, but it will be understood that the shape, size, and general construction of this may be varied ac-' cording to taste, or the requirements of the service or location ofthe station. The boxes or easingsGare set upon suitable supports, as shown in Fig. 1.

E E are standards inside the casing, which have ways formed ot' opposing edges e @,ot' any suitable material, as shown in Fig. 4. These IOO standards E E are preferably of metal, and the opposing edges or guides e e are formed integral therewith. Rods F F, &c., with enlarged headsff, e., grooved to receive the guides e e, each provided with an ear or projection, f, work in the standards E. These rods F are connected to or rest upon, at the bottom, the cross-bar G, which is operatedv by the lever B.

The bellows by means of which the signal is held displayed, and which for convenience I will denominate the upper bellows, is marked in all the figures where it is shown, H, while the bellows by means of which the withdrawal of the signal is regulated is marked throughout the drawings where it occurs as H. The supports h, on which the bellows H rests, are rigidly secured tothe standards E, and a cross-bar, la', on top of and secured to the bellows, rides freely in suitable ways or against the standards E. and rests upon the upper enlarged heads of the rods F, and is operated by the said rods. As these rods F are elevated by the action of lever B, the bars h will be carried up and the bellows H expanded. The bellows H is provided with a valve, K, left open while the bellows is collapsed, (as will hereinafter be explained,) which, as the bar h is carried up and the bellows is expanded, allows the outside air to flow into the bellows until it is iilled,when the valveKwill automatically close. This valve will be more particularly described farther on.

In order to prevent the expanding of the bellows H from exhausting the air from the piping, the pipe D, which is connected at the beginning ot' each section or block to the bottom of bellows H and terminates under bellows H at the next station or other end of the block, is provided near each bellows H with a valve, d. (Shown in detail in Fig. 7.) As the bellows l-I expands and the air in thetube D attempts to flow back into the bellows, this valve d automatically closes the pipe and prevents all possibility of such action, and will keep the pipe closed until the pressure in the bellows is as great or greater than that in the pipe or tube D. As the bar 7L rises, the signal is displayed, as will now be explained; but I would premise with regard to the signal that that I would not bev understood as confining myself to the form or style shown. Any signal capable of being operated by rising and falling may with good effect be employed.

For convenience of representation, and as being as well adapted for use in this situation as any other form, I have shown a verticallysliding signal, I, at each box or station. It is connected to a rod, h2, which is secured directly to the bar h on the top of the bellows, and is thereby raised and lowered. The signal I is carried in a guide or frame, I, supported upon the casing Gand provided with the display-opening The signal I, in order to serve the purpose of both a day and night signal, is formed of a plate of red or danger glass, or other translucent material colored to be readily seen, and a lamp, i', attached to or supported by the frame I', is provided on one side or the other, as the situation requires for use at night. Now, as the bar h is raised, as

shown, at stations No. l and No. 3, the signal I will be raised up into line with the displayopening z' and the signal given. When the bellows H is collapsed, as shown at sta-tion No. 2, the signal I will drop down into the lower covered part of the guide or frame I, and will not be seen by the engineer of an approaching train.

The construction and operation of the parts are such as to give the signal-zZ e., to elevate signal I into the display-opening 15 when a train enters the block, and keep it there until the said train passes off of the block at the other end, at which time, as will be now explained, the signal I is depressed behind the covered portion ofthe guide or frame I. For this purpose (withdrawing the signal from sight) the second or lower bellows, H, is provided at each box or station except the initial, as No. 1. The bellows H rests upon fixed supports h3, similar to supports 7i described for bellows H, and has a bar, h, secured to the top of it, which is operated by projections ff on the rodsF, so that the same force which will elevate bar 7L and expand bellows H will also elevate bar Zt* and expand bellows H. The position of the ears or projections ff on the rods F may be so located as to accommodate a smaller or larger bellows. As shown, the bellows H is smaller than bellows H, and the projections fj" are placed at a considerable distance down the rods F.

Connected to the bar h is a depending frame, J, to which is attached a suitable rod or plunger, J', which enters the mouthn of pipe D, which, as already described, terminates beneath the bellows. Thepipe D is provided with an opening, d, so located as that the rod or plunger J. shall close it when the bellows H is collapsed, as shown at station No.2, as explained and illustrated by Fig. 10; but which shall be kept open by the inflation of the bellows H, as seenat station No. 3. Now, when a train has passed out of a block l'IO and inflated the bellows H, as shown at box or station No. 3, and the opening d is uncovered and air begins to escape from pipe D, it is evident that the bellows H at the preceding station, as No. 2, will begin to collapse. Soon after it begins to collapse it will automatically open itself by mechanisms shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which will presently be described, but first the description of the action of bellows H after having been inflated must be completed before this mechanism is described.

It is desirable aud necessary to the perfect working of the system that the pipe D be kept closed at each end as much as possible. If it were not, the action of the parts would be impaired, and the bellows H would tend to collapse as soon as a train had passed off of lever B. lFor this purpose, and in order that `slancio the parts may be kept in position for the passage of the next following train, the opening d is only left open a short timesufficient to start the collapse ot' bellows H at preceding` station and bring into action the mechanism which completes the exhaustion and collapse of bellows H. To accomplish this speedy closing of the opening cl, the bellows H is provided with an air-escape,H`-,by means of which the bellows H will, as soon as bar h'1 is released by the fall of the shouldered rods F f, begin to collapse, and will exhaust itself with greater or less rapidity, according to the eapacity of the escape H2, and as soon as bellows H is fully settled, as shown in station No. 2, the plunger J will cover the opening d. During the escape of air from pipe D through the opening d the valve din the same pipe D, near or below bellows H of the next preceding station, will remain open and allow the iow to start bellows H to collapsing in the manner hereinafter described.

The speed with which the bellows H is exhausted may be regulated by the size of the air-escape HZ, which, for the purpose of being thus regulated, may be provided with a cock, as shown. The length of block, and consequently of tube D, will determine the size which the escape should be in order to properly time the closing of vent' or opening d.

The automatic exhaust with which I provide the bellows H is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The valve K, which has already been dcscribed as opening to admit air when 'the bellows H is expanded by elevating the bar h',

and which automatically closes when the bellows is full and the pressure inside and out is equal, is placed at the bottom ofthe bellows, and is utilized in this automatic exhaust i'or bellows H.

Rods Lhaving weights Li, are run through aguide-plate, L', on top ofthe standards E and through a support, 71., at the bottom of the bellows H. lAt a suitable point in their length they are provided with screw-threaded portions, -as shown, and supplied with nuts Z Z, which, when the bellows H is inflated, rest upon rod h', as shown in Fig. 2; but when the bellows begins to collapse and the rod h be comes lowered the weighted rods sink down therewith until they are arrested by the levers K K, which are pivoted at m, and connected at their inner ends to the valve-stem K2. These levers K K may be attencd or dished at their outer ends to properly receive and support the weighted rods L. As soon as the rods L reach these levers, the valve K will be thrown open, and the bellows H will rapidly colnplete its exhaustion. As the bellows YH collapses, the signal I is drawn down into the frame'l, and is hidden from view. This will indicate that the next suc ceeding block, as from No. 2 to No. 3, is open and no train upon it. As long as the bellows is collapsed the valve K will remain open; but as soon as the bellows is raised by apassing train the weight of the rods L will be removed from the valve K, and when the pressure inside and outside of the bellows is equal the valve H will close by its own weight.

While the bellows is at rest, whether expanded and filled with air or collapsed, the function ot' the valve d in the pipe D near said bellows ceases, as the pressure of the air in the bellows when expanded or in the out side atmosphere (when the bellows is collapsed and open, I1s-above described) is just equal to that in the pipe D; but, as already explained, when the bellows is being expanded and a suction into it through valve K is created, the valve d is automatically closed, to prevent rarefaction of air in tube or pipe D, so that theopen condition of valve K when the bellows H is collapsed does not disturb the density of air in the tube D, although valve d may be open also.

The adjustability of the weighted rods L by means ofthe nuts Z and that of the air-escape IP enables me to set these two points relative to each other and according to the length of block.

The rod or lever B, which reaches from the side of the railroad-track to the box or station, is bifurcated at the box end and rests under rod or bar G. The lever B is fulerumed at B', and its shorter arm extends toward the track, so that a slight depression of this shorter arm will make a considerable elevation ofthe longer arm of the lever at the box. At the end next to the track the lever is provided with an upward extension, b, which has the cross-head b. The upright piece b passes through a guide or support, n, and is provided with a coiled or other spring, N, bearing at one end on the support a and at the other under the head b. Thereby the upright b is restored and held ready for contact with the next train.

The upright b is operated by the inclined presser O, Fig. 6, attached to the tender or some other convenient part of the train, coming in contact with the head b', and as the press'er passes over the head and brings the point of the incline over the head b the lever B will be operated to more and more fully expand the bellows H and H until they are full. The presser O will bemade as long and the inclination as gradual as the length of the car will permit, in order to make the operation as gradual as possibleand prevent jars and shocks.

The spring N may be of such strength as to be compressed only by such a weight as is communicated from a car, and thereby all unlawful interference with it is obviated.

The lever B may be entirely incased when it is separate from thepiece b; but when it is secured thereto it may be left open, if de' sired.

Small signals consisting simply of a collapsible chamber, as P, with a colored por tion to be exhibited when expanded, as shown in Fig. 9, may be placed at sidings, switches,

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branch roads, Src., to indicate to cars coming upon the block from such directions that it is occupied. Vhen the signal at the regular station on abloclt is given and the bellows 'H fully iniated, the valve d will open andthe air in the tube or pipe D will receive a slight compression, due to the pressure of the signal and weighted rods Lupon the bellows, which compression will be suflicient to expand this delicate pouch or collapsible signalP; and when,upon the departure ofthe train from the block, the air is released from pipe D by the opening of port or opening d the pouch P will collapse. Thus trains coming upon the main track from a siding or branch road can govern themselves according to the condition of this pouch-signal P, but in practice a block should terminate at every branch road, so that a train leaving the main road can shilt the signal in the rear to safety7 Either or both ofthe bellows H or H' maybe supplanted by a cylinder, M, and piston M', as shown in Fig. 8. Either form, cylinder and piston or bellows, will work satisfactorily, and either may be used.

rllhe size of the pipe D and ofthe bellows H is immaterial, as well as that of bellows H. Half-inch pipe, with bellows H to contain, when inflated, a cubic loot of air, will be all that is needed. Bellows H' maybe smaller.

There is no advantage in having a large tube D, as a small 'one answers every purpose and cheapens the cost of both itself` and ot' the bellows and other parts used with it, which may be smaller and lighter.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent isl. A pneumatic signaling mechanism for block systems, consisting` of a series of stations, traclclevers therefor, a line of pipe in sections beginning at one station and terminating at the next, each section of pipe being provided with a self-acting valve at its begin- A ning, two bellows at each intermediate station on the line, both operated by the saine tracklever, the bellows connected to the beginning of each pipe-section being provided with a signal, and the one at the termination thereof being provided with a plunger working in the end of the pipe, to open and close it, all constructed and combined to operate substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the bellows H and air-tube D, provided with the opening d', of the bellows H', provided with the rod or plunger J', working in the tube D and controlling the opening d', substantially as set forth.

3. The bellows H', having a plunger for controlling the emission ot' air from the tube D,

and also provided with the air-escape H2, as set forth.

4. The bellows H", provided with a plunger beneath it working in the end of the tube D, for controlling the emission of air therefrom, and having the exhaust-passage H2, fitted with a regulating cock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the bellows H, tube D, and valve d, located near bellows H and acting to prevent the escape of air from the tube or pipe D when the bellows H is being charged, with the signal and the devices at the next station for discharging said bellows, as set forth. y

6. The combination, with the bellows H and valve K, having the operating lever or levers K', of the rod or rods L, provided with means for holding them away from the levers while the bellows is inflated, but adapted to bear npon the levers and open the valve when the bellows has begun to exhaust, as set forth.

7. The combination, with the bellows H, valve K, and operating-levers K', of the rods L,provided with ascrew-threaded portion,and nutsZ for adjusting said rods, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the bellows H', provided with the air-escape H2 and plunger J', of the tube D, opening d'. bellows H, its valve K, operatinglevers K', and weighted rods L, whereby when the descent of the plunger J' closes the opening d the bellows H is completely exhausted by the pressure of the rods L on the levers K', which opens the valve, as set forth.

9. The combination, with the standards E E and ways e e, ofthe rods F, working in the ways e, and connections to the bellows and to the lever, operated by the train, as set forth.

l0. The combination, with the standards E E and ways e e, of the rods F, bellows-bars h' ht, and means on rods F whereby they are engaged on the upstroke, substantially as set forth.

ll. The combination, with the means :for expanding the bellows, of the operating-lever B, provided with the upright piece b b' and spring N, as set forth.

l2. The combination, with the air-tube D and bellows H, of the pouch or collapsible signal P, to be placed at a siding or analogous point and connected with the air-tube D, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM H. SOHMELZ.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY SCHEUERMAN, JOHN H. SCHMELZ.

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